New Delhi [India], June 17 : Air India on Tuesday said that its flight from Bengaluru to London's Heathrow was cancelled on Tuesday due to the unavailability of the aircraft, following government-mandated inspections across the Boeing 787 fleet, as per sources.
According to sources, this was a scheduled operational cancellation, and all impacted passengers were informed in advance. Air India provided options for rebooking, full refunds, and free cancellations.
Apart from this, a flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick in London was also cancelled on Tuesday due to the unavailability of the aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks.
The airline denied claims that the flight has been cancelled due to any technical snag. Regretting the inconvenience caused to passengers, the airline said that alternative arrangements have been made to fly them to their destination.
It said hotel accommodation is being provided, and refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling are also being offered if opted by the passengers
"Flight AI159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick has been cancelled today due to the unavailability of the aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag as claimed," the airline said.
"We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and have made alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination. We are providing hotel accommodation and also offering full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted by the passengers. Consequently, flight AI170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar on 17th June stands cancelled," it added.
There have been airspace restrictions due to Iran-Israel conflict. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into a hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. One passenger, Vishwas Kumar, survived the tragic incident.